TANGO STEP WRITING (TSW) Fast method to write tango sequences

TSW is a writing language useful to describe tango sequences. This writing is simple, fast to write, quick enough to decode and should not be so long to learn. It often describes both leader and follower steps in a single and combined notation which is near to how you could say it orally.

SUMMARY

TANGO STEP WRITING (TSW) Fast method to write tango sequences

TSW is a writing language useful to describe tango sequences.
This writing is simple, fast to write, quick enough to decode and should not be so long to learn (you will tell me…).
It often describes both leader and follower steps in a single and combined notation which is near to how you could say it orally.
This makes it easier to learn and remember years after. It can describe most tango sequences in-line which does not require a lot of paper.

HISTORY

When I started learning tango, I wanted to remember every sequence, or at least keep some kind of a record.
Due to the infinity and complexity of this dance, I needed to save them somewhere else than my brain.
At that time cell phones were not able to make good videos and it is not always possible to film a couple doing exactly what I wanted to save anyway.
Step by step, I started to write sequences on small pieces of papers and then improved the way to do it.
I tried to find on the Internet any existing way to write tango steps but I never found such tool publicly described on the web at that time.
So this is how I created my own, more than 10 years ago.
Today, steps are not my priority anymore, but I still use it from time to time in order to:

prepare my workshops

attend a workshop myself

remember a sequence I saw and liked

After several years, Tango Step Writing still works quite well, so I think anyone could use it. If it can be useful to anybody, then I am happy to share it in this article.

HOW IT WORKS

Are you ready to know how Tango Step Writing works? Let’s go !

Sequences are divided into steps separated by a "/" sign.
The position of each step is useful to understand the following one (knowing where you come from helps to understand where to go without having to write a precise description).

step1 / step2 / step3 / …

When leader and follower steps cannot be written as a single movement, you describe them separately, on each side of an "=" sign. The leader's step before the “=“ sign, and follower's step after.

leader step 1 = follower step 1 / leader step 2 = follower step 2 / …

This is used for precise descriptions. It allows a specific writing for each role. When sequences are more simple, the “=” sign is not useful anymore and you will save a lot of time.

The way TSW summarizes sequences is inspired from the Spanish language.
If you don’t speak Spanish, it is still very easy to understand, but you are free to adapt it to your own language if you like.
Here is a list of the main TSW abbreviations:

I: Pierna Izquierda (left leg)

D: Pierna Derecha (right leg)

ad: Adelante (forwards)

at: Atrás (backwards)

cost: Paso de costado / Apertura (side step)

8: ocho

saca: Sacada

sacat: Sacada atras

gan: Gancho

arr: Arrastre/barrida

lapiz: lapiz

para: Parada

parat: Parada atras

X: Cruce (Cross)

V: Juntar los pies / cambio de peso (feet together / weight transfer)

...: Useful when the leader or the follower does “nothing” while the other moves alone.

Basic examples

Dat=Iad: In this first step, the leader moves the right leg (Derecha) backwards (atras) while the follower (=) moves the left leg (Izquierda) forwards (adelante). Done!

Icost=Dcost: In this 2nd step, the leader moves the left leg (Izquierda) to the side (costado) while the follower (=) moves the right leg (Derecha) to the side (costado).

V=X: The leader puts his feet together (V) while the follower (=) crosses them (X). A more detailed notation for the cross would be IXad (Izquierda cruza adelante / Left leg crosses in front)

Now, you might be asking yourself why should we write all this for a simple salida?! Well, it is just an example to help you understand Tango Step Writing. Now that you are familiar with it, we will start using some easy shortcuts:

Note: In some cases the direction of the 8 is not obvious, or opposite to the natural way versus the leader step or the previous step. In this case we add an arrow to the left or to the right which indicates that the ocho is done around the left of right side of the leader. Here it is not mandatory, but it still is easier for reading.

In the same sequence, if we remove the pivots, the ochos become crosses for the follower (this typically is what happens in milonguero style).

Some specific tips

Back and forth

In some cases we step without fully transferring our weight, before going back. This can be an issue for the script because we come back directly to the initial position. To describe such back and forth movements, just replace the “/” by “y”(and). For instance, the sequence 4 y 2 is in fact a basic forward step Iad=Dat without complete weight transfer, followed by a left step Icost=Dcost.

Follower sacadas and more

Sacadas, ganchos, arrastres usually performed by the leader, can also be performed by the follower (e.g. follower sacadas). To distinguish those steps, the prime sign will be used again:

Note that in this specific case D represents the right leg of the follower and 8ad is performed by the leader.

IsacatCost← is a leader backward sacada to the follower's side step

Dsacat’Cost→ is a follower backward sacada to the leader's side step (this one would be a type 4 sacada).

TSW Limitations

TSW does not describe precisely the rhythm. Music theory already has a good language. If you know how to write rhythms, you can probably combine it with this writing method, but it would be longer to write and to decode. May be useful if you want to write choreography but I have never done it (even if I know music theory).

There are several ways to write the same sequence, like with most languages, you can say something, in a fast way or in a more precise but longer way. TSW can also vary depending on your own vision of the sequence. However, I am convinced that two people who know TSW could swap their papers and reproduce the right sequence.

You must be familiar with a minimum quantity of leader and follower tango steps in order to understand Tango Step Writing. Otherwise you will probably be lost.

Finally, TSW does not describe how to connect, embrace, communicate, feel or express the music with your partner… For this, I only know Tango dancing.

In conclusion, take it for what it is: a very basic and stupid tool, but sometimes useful to help remembering steps.
And if you like to play, are you able to do this ? :-)